Foundations Supporting the Healing Power of Music During COVID-19

Musicians On Call is honored to highlight the valuable efforts and critical contributions of these foundations, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their support of MOC programming is providing a vital line of funding to ensure that music does not disappear for those patients, family members, and caregivers on the front lines in hospitals across the US.

Les Paul Foundation

Musicians On Call is pleased to announce that The Les Paul Foundation is providing support for its COVID-19 response and the Virtual Bedside Performance Program. Using livestream technology, and closed circuit TVs inside patient rooms, each program features live music, including requests from patients, and can safely accommodate hundreds of participants while musicians broadcast from their own homes.

The mission of The Les Paul Foundation is one that “inspires innovative and creative thinking by sharing the legacy of Les Paul through support of music education, recording, innovation and medical research related to hearing.” Les Paul’s own life of innovation and dedication to music led to his invention of rock and roll’s signature guitar, hit song-writing, and pioneering modern music recording; landing him seats in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and National Inventors Hall of Fame. Through all of his success, Les’ heart was always centered on helping others through his music career. Even before Musicians On Call was born, Les Paul himself was visiting hospitals, among the stops of his sell-out national tour of #1 hits, to deliver the healing power of music to patients.

Through the thoughtful action of the foundation, Les Paul’s legacy will now enable Musicians On Call to continue using virtual technology to transcend the obstacles of this unprecedented crisis; bringing comforting and relief, through the healing power of music, to patients, family members, and caregivers in hospitals across the country.

Nashville Predators Foundation

In April, The Nashville Predators Foundation announced a grant to support MOC’s Nashville Virtual Bedside Performance Program. The Nashville Predators Foundation works with community based organizations across Nashville “to improve the lives of youth and their families.” For 13 years, Musicians On Call has been delivering live bedside music to children at Nashville hospitals; serving over 50,000 patients. And now, thanks to The Nashville Predators Foundation, children receiving treatment in Nashville will continue to experience the transformative benefits of music.
“During this unprecedented time, we are grateful to continue our community partnerships with organizations like Musicians on Call. It is truly special to see how they have adapted their program to fit the current needs. Despite not being able to visit the hospital, they are not skipping a beat and instead turning to Virtual Bedside Performances. We are proud to partner on this program and help bring some smiles to our friends at Monroe Carell Jr Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.”

Arizona Community Foundation – COVID-19 Fund

Over 4 years of delivering live bedside music to thousands of children, intensive care patients, cancer fighters, and Veterans, across multiple Phoenix hospitals, MOC has seen the definitive impact that music has on the human condition, especially during times of crisis. As a result of COVID-19, and the necessary response of quarantine and “flatten the curve” measures, those impactful in-person hospital programs have been put on hold.

Thankfully, the Arizona Community Foundation established its COVID-19 Community Response Fund, in response to those critical needs of nonprofits in Arizona communities:

“The Arizona COVID-19 Community Response Fund was established by the Arizona Community Foundation, in partnership with a growing list of local corporations and foundations, to support nonprofit organizations across the state as they respond to the impact of COVID-19 within our community.”

Through the Arizona Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Community Response Fund, Musicians On Call is able to continue its delivery of comforting and support to hospitals in Phoenix, through the healing power of music and the Virtual Bedside Performance Program; serving hospitalized children and caregivers with regular weekly virtual live-music performances.